To Become a True Shinigami
by Dark Nuriko
Summary: A cross-over fic between Gundam Wing and Yami no Matsuei. Better summary inside. This is something I've been toying with for a while. Please review and let me know if its worth continuing. Discontinued


_**To Become A True Shinigami**_

Title: _**To Become A True Shinigami**_

Author: Dark Nuriko

Category: Yami no Matsuei/Gundam Wing

Genre: Supernatural/Humor

Pairings: Hi x Tsu, Ta x Wa, 1 x 2, possible others

Warnings: AU(alternate universe for GW), yaoi(lots of it), language, violence, death, lime/lemon, spoilers for the anime, as well as the first four volumes of the manga.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: Yami no Matsuei is owned by Yohko Matsushita and Hana to Yume. Gundam Wing belongs to Hajime Yatate. Seeing as none of these fabulous people are me, I don't own them. Please don't sue me, for this is purely for fun.

Summary: After almost killing his partner and himself, Tsuzuki can't seem to keep from thinking he was a danger to Hisoka. So, with a reluctant heart, he asks for the one thing he never dreamed of asking for, a new partner. Meanwhile, Watari was sent to Earth to retrieve a young boy, who was recently brought into the family of Shinigami. Yet when Duo is made a Shinigami, things seem to take a turn for the worse. If everyone thought Tsuzuki was bad, what are they going to think of another violet eyed man who seems to have an attitude that rivals even the most unruly of them?

_**To Become A True Shinigami**__ By: Dark Nuriko_

_*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*_

"I'm requesting a new partner," Tsuzuki Asato's usually cheerful voice said in a serious tone. His dark hair fell into incandescent violet orbs, which were as serious as his tone. Konoe-Kacho seemed to stare at Tsuzuki in surprise. He had never expected to hear this from Tsuzuki, especially after everything his partner and him had just gone through. Yet, he knew he couldn't force them to remain partners.

"We'd have to dock your pay if you want to go against this departments decision and we find you a new partner," Konoe said, trying to find a way to change Tsuzuki's mind. Yet only a small shudder was the Shinigami's response to the threat before he sighed and straightened up.

"Then I shall just have to accept that. I need a new partner, Konoe-Kacho." Konoe sighed, himself, and finally relented, realizing nothing he did would change the younger man's mind.

"Fine. Watari is currently collecting our newest Shinigami from our training facility in the mortal realm. Once he's brought in, I'll set him up as your new partner. Yet I want you to understand, Tsuzuki, that if things fail with him, you will be required to have Kurosaki-san as your partner again. There aren't many who will partner with you, so new recruits are usually the only ones who will even risk partnering you." Tsuzuki nodded, his childish façade back in place.

"Thank you, boss." Konoe waved off the thanks.

"Until they arrive, you're on desk duty. Don't make me have to re-send the order. If you don't get every bit of paperwork finished in a reasonable amount of time, I shall keep you with Kurosaki-san." Tsuzuki's eyes widened and he quickly moved toward the door, looking like an eager to please puppy.

"Hai, Kacho! I shall do my best!" He was then out the door before Konoe could even blink. Tatsumi Seiichirou stood on the other side of the door, staring after Tsuzuki as he rushed off toward his office. He turned wide blue eyes on his boss, wondering what the older man had said to make him look so eager to work. His dark brown hair was neatly styled and his dark brown suit was neatly pressed. It was all indications of how meticulous he was with his appearance. There was nothing about Tatsumi that didn't scream that the man hadn't at least thought everything over at least five times before implementing whatever it was he had been thinking on.

"Konoe, what's gotten into him?" Tatsumi asked in his no nonsense tone of voice. It's rich tone indicating one used to thinking over his words before finally speaking.

"He wanted a new partner, so I had no choice but to grant him his request." Tatsumi froze and found himself partially glaring at his boss through his simple silver framed glasses.

"How could you do that?! Hisoka and Tsuzuki need each other!" he fairly shouted. While it was a rule that he normally never let himself get out of hand, it seemed it was impossible to remain serious and unemotional when it came to Tsuzuki.

"I've made up my mind, as did Tsuzuki, Tatsumi. What else could I do? I even threatened to dock his pay for the request and yet he still wanted it. I couldn't say no. We've got our new recruit in with Watari today and so I honestly had no reason to say no." Tatsumi fairly bristled with anger. He couldn't believe this. Tsuzuki just had to ask for this on the day they had gotten a new recruit in from training.

"But is this recruit good enough to keep Tsuzuki under control as Hisoka is?" Konoe sighed, looking more tired and older than his fifty-nine year old body really was.

"I don't know, in all honesty. Watari's been the only person to have been in contact with this new Shinigami. I assume he'd be the best to let us know. Yet I do know one thing, Tatsumi. He's already gained two Shikigami. These aren't just any normal Shikigami either, they're SohRyu's children."

"Kijin and Tenkou have finally chosen someone to guard? I always believed they would come to want to protect Tsuzuki, just as their father chose." Konoe nodded in agreement.

"As did I and about everyone else who knew of them. Yet from Watari's report, they were so taken with our newest Shinigami that they chose to serve him." Tatsumi blinked, surprised Watari had taken as much time as would be required to write a report on a new Shinigami. He was usually always wrapped up in his lab, working on every kind of experiment he could concoct, and then some. It wasn't a good week unless Watari had managed to blow up his lab at least twice. Yet, Tatsumi had to admit, that within this last month, Watari had only been around for a short amount of time, and thus the bills for the lab had been significantly lower.

"Then I shall go and have a word with him. Perhaps he can let me know what we are in for." Konoe raised an eyebrow at that.

"Perhaps. He should be in the lab with the new Shinigami. They've been there since early this morning. I had planned on keeping him with Watari until we figured out who he was to partner with. Seems he's been good at keeping Watari in order. They've been working on organizing that disaster area we call Watari's lab." Tatsumi's eyes really widened at that.

"Are you serious? This is really something I have to see." He pushed up his glasses and moved toward the door. "I shall be back with my own report on our new Shinigami shortly." Konoe nodded.

"Of course, Tatsumi. I expected nothing less." Tatsumi left then, wanting to see this wonder of wonders with his own eyes.

_*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*_

Watari Yutaka's long golden blonde hair was held mostly back with a thin black ribbon. It had been the only thing handy at the moment he had needed it. Two thin plates of golden colored hair seemed to refuse to be held back, framing his face. His amber eyes were covered by black framed, oval shaped glasses. 003, Watari's rather intelligent robotic gray owl, sat on the newest Shinigami's shoulder, puffed up with pride as the lab now seemed spotless. Yet it wasn't organized, as he had thought it would have to be in order to be cleaned up. It was just picked up and more neat appearance wise. Apparently, their newest Shinigami was a surprising contradiction in terms. After letting his gaze roam over his lab, of which he knew where everything was, he turned his gaze on their newest recruit.

He had violet eyes. That was the first thing Watari had noticed when he had been sent to pick him up. They weren't quite as vibrant as Tsuzuki's when he had first seen him, but they were pretty close to it now with the un-natural incandescence of the Shinigami. The next thing Watari noticed was that he hadn't been much older than Hisoka when he had become a Shinigami. Having asked the boy how old he was when he had gone to collect him, he had heard the very cheerful reply of eighteen from the boy. His body was still immature. It seemed to Watari that he couldn't be no older than sixteen, for all of the womanly curves the boy had. His face was softly rounded and he had delicate curves where his hips were. He was about five foot eight, which made him shorter than most of the other men who worked as Shinigami, including himself. Yet it was the long rope of chestnut brown hair that had Watari slightly jealous. It seemed a simple brown color at first glance, yet when the sunlight caught it just right, it showed off blonde and red highlights. It was the most impressive color of hair Watari had ever seen. It was kept braided and seemed to fall entirely down the boys back to a little ways past his derrière.

"I think you can finally say you have a lab, Yutaka," he said, his voice a crisp, clear baritone that always seemed cheerful, even if he had nothing to be cheerful about. Watari winced only slightly, not used to hearing his first name. Yet the boy was American, and in order to help make him more at ease, Watari had told the boy right off that he could call him by his first name instead of Mister Watari. He was regretting it now, but there was nothing he could do.

"I do believe you are right. I have to admit I had never expected to see it this clean and yet still be able to find everything. You'll have to help me do the same for my home. I seem to fear bringing company over due to feeling like something I've forgotten about will sneak up and eat them." The boy laughed, a rich sound that had Watari laughing with him.

"It would be an honor. After all, I've never met anyone who's been as skillful with machines as yourself." Watari blushed faintly, yet he loved the praise.

"Why thank you, Duo. I like the idea you had for Hikari. I never believed a lamp could be able to bend in so many ways." Duo chuckled once more, his eyes bright.

"You've kept yourself locked inside your lab too much. There has been many advancements on Earth that would surprise you." Watari's scientific mind seemed to blossom with eagerness to hear about everything Duo knew.

"Aa, I have at that. I love science, yet I seem to always find myself in love with new ideas." Duo grinned.

"I can understand the feeling. New ideas seem to always manage to crop up in the middle of ones you've already been working on. The real kicker is when you seem to find yourself having a tough time of deciding which one you want to work on." Watari's eyes lit up. He knew he had found a kindred spirit when he had met Duo Maxwell. The teen/young man had a love of mechanics as well as an obsession over impossible ideas. When he had first told the boy of his sex-change potion he wanted to create, Duo had almost lit up at the very possibility.

"I still can't believe you're a student of science. You really didn't seem the type when I collected you." Duo gave a bemused grin.

"Actually, I'm a bit of a jack-of-all-subjects. While science was my favorite, I also seemed to excel at the arts and psychology." Watari raised an eyebrow, his expression almost skeptical. He had learned real fast that he couldn't use his usual expressions around Duo. He seemed to know instantly what someone was feeling, even if they never showed it. In fact, it was that very ability that he was looking foreword to seeing how it was used on Tatsumi. The man was a regular black hole when it came to emotions. Even Hisoka couldn't seem to feel anything from the man. Yet Duo had been the first ever to realize that everything Watari showed was actually carefully planned. So it would only serve to reason that he'd be able to tell what Tatsumi was feeling even though he was almost stone normally.

"May I ask you something?" Watari asked suddenly, gaining Duo's undivided attention. Duo nodded, almost nothing changing in his bright expression.

"Of course. I see nothing wrong with asking something of a friend." Watari grinned at the answer, realizing it was a very Duo-like thing to say.

"It might be a little personal," Watari added, wanting him to know exactly what he was wanting to get at.

"Oh, that kind of something, huh?" Watari nodded. "I suppose its still all right. After all, ya are my friend. One of the first few I really ever had. I wouldn't be a very good one if I wanted to stay away from personal questions." Watari seemed taken aback by the boys way of thinking. No one, not even himself, had ever thought along those lines. Most Shinigami want to avoid things that would bring up their past from before they became Shinigami. They seemed to think it wasn't something anyone needed to know.

"Where you always able to see past the mask people use?" he asked. Duo smiled softly, his eyes still warm.

"Oh, that was something that took time to learn. I lived on the streets for a good part of my life. I had to learn to read people. This way, I knew when someone was trying to hurt me with lies or deceitful words. Eventually, it became second nature to read the truth behind the words. I'm sorry if it bothers you." Watari quickly shook his head.

"Not at all. There might be a few here who will be a little uncomfortable about it, but they'll learn to get over it. I mean, they can deal with Bon and he's able to learn a lot more than just the truth that they are trying to hide." Duo raised an eyebrow at that.

"Bon? Isn't that the one I've been hearing about? The empath, Kurosaki Hisoka?" Duo questioned. Watari nodded.

"He can feel emotions just being near someone, yet it also seems that touching a person will give him a bit more insight into the real person, not the one they are simply trying to show everyone." Duo gave him an over-exaggerated wink then.

"I suppose I should remember not to touch him then." Watari couldn't help but tip his head back and belt out a rather loud, joyous laugh. He couldn't believe there was someone who wasn't afraid of what Hisoka could find out. Then again, Duo seemed like the type to embrace his past and learn from it, not hide from it. Therefore, it would be really interesting when the two finally met. The double doors that led into the lab were pushed open then, making both men look toward it. Tatsumi stood there, staring in mild surprise, although only Watari knew it for what it was, seeing as Tatsumi never showed his emotions.

"Is this our new Shinigami?" Tatsumi asked in his no nonsense tone of voice. Duo raised one eyebrow, his lips curled into a half grin.

"Um, I would have assumed the right hand man to our Kacho would already know everything my file would tell him, and then some," Duo answered with a delighted smirk. Tatsumi's normally expressionless face cracked as he allowed surprise to color his eyes.

"How do you know all that?" he asked. Watari couldn't help but grin. It seemed that Duo was exactly what this place needed.

"Kijin told me you don't like meeting new people unprepared so you usually read all files on them before meeting them," Duo clarified. Tatsumi seemed a little taken aback.

"Kijin enjoys talking to you? He's usually rather quiet." Duo smirked.

"Well, he usually wouldn't speak to me either, but between his sister and me, he's gotten used to speaking when we need him to. Yet, I'm being rude. You already know my name, but I'll introduce myself anyway. My name's Duo Maxwell and your Tatsumi Seiichirou. It's an honor to meet a shadow master, Tatsumi-san." Watari blinked in surprise as Duo had spoken in flawless Japanese without seeming to have any trouble knowing how to use the proper honorific for the occasion.

"Duo! I thought you didn't understand Japanese!" Watari cried. Duo smirked brightly.

"I never said that, Yutaka. You simply assumed that I wouldn't be comfortable with Japanese because I'm American. Yet you have to realize I was living in Japan when I died. I understood the language and culture, yet you seemed to want to make me feel more comfortable. If you like, I can call you Watari-san so you don't feel like strangling yourself for saying I could call you by your first name." Watari flushed softly before chuckling.

"I suppose I deserved that, didn't I?" he asked. Duo nodded.

"Just a little. But it's all right."

"Good. Then just call me Watari. That I can handle a lot better than the other." Duo nodded and looked toward Tatsumi, who seemed a little off balance with the whole conversation.

"If you two are quite finished, I'll lead you to your partner, Maxwell-san," Tatsumi said, all business once more.

"Not at all, Tatsumi-san. Yet please, call me Duo. I hate formalities when it comes to what someone calls me." Tatsumi nodded while Watari seemed a little confused.

"But I thought all of our Shinigami had partners for the moment. Who in the world did they possibly decide to team him up with?"

"Tsuzuki," Tatsumi said. Duo seemed to watch the shadow master closely. It seemed he wasn't happy about that, and at Watari's gasp, he wasn't too happy either. Mentally, Kijin and Tenkou seemed to cringe. Duo couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at all of this. Apparently, something was going on that he didn't yet know about.

'_What's wrong with Tsuzuki, Kijin?'_ Duo asked of his oldest Shikigami. The boy seemed to shake off his fear before replying.

'_He is our father's master. Therefore, father is going to be upset when he learns we chose you for our master and not him.'_

'_It isn't that we don't like Tsuzuki. We do. We just like you more,'_ Tenkou's sweet voice added. Duo smiled and finally looked to Watari.

"So, what is it about Tsuzuki that has both of you so un-nerved?" Duo asked.

"He was partnered with Bon. I had thought it was one that would last. Yet I suppose Bon couldn't handle Tsuzuki any more," Watari mumbled, partly surprised and the other part depressed over it. Duo blinked, not really understanding what was going on.

"Hisoka didn't order the change, Tsuzuki did." This made Watari gasp and wobble slightly. Unthinkingly, Duo reached out a hand to steady him, his gloved hand contacting with Watari's shoulder. Watari swiftly steadied himself and placed a hand over Duo's, part of his bare hand meeting the slight gap of bare skin at Duo's wrist. Instantly Duo was assaulted with memories, thoughts, ideas, and feelings that weren't his own. He cried out as it seemed to take hold of him. Almost as swiftly as it had begun, a blue haired boy of about fifteen showed up and pulled Duo away from Watari, staring down at the braided boy with concern. A young girl stood beside him, her hair a softer color blue than the boys. She seemed to be a few years older than the boy and one of her small hands reached out to gently caress his forehead.

"What in the world?" Tatsumi asked, moving over toward them. Watari blinked confused eyes at the whole situation. He hadn't realized what had been going on until Duo's Shikigami had shown up to save him. He watched as Duo slowly opened pain-glazed eyes and looked over at Watari.

"I goofed," Duo muttered, trying to make light of what had happened. Kijin, the young boy, seemed to be anything but amused by Duo's words, while Tenkou giggled softly.

"Baka, you know you are not supposed to make contact with another person," Kijin admonished. Duo nodded, looking downcast.

"I know, Ki-san. I'm sorry. I didn't realize I had left myself open for that." He then looked over at Watari, his violet eyes contrite and apologetic. "Sorry, Watari. I didn't mean to pry into your private memories. I promise I'll try to forget." Watari gave him one of his classic, mad scientist grins, and shrugged it off.

"Don't worry about it. It was as much my fault as yours. At least now you can understand me more." Duo chuckled softly at that and Tenkou giggled. Kijin rolled his eyes.

"We do not need him any more twisted then he already is, Watari-san. Duo is crazy all on his own." Duo and Watari both cackled at that, making Kijin's forehead throb at the similarity they displayed after Duo's trip into Watari's mind. Tatsumi cleared his throat.

"Would someone mind telling me what is going on? Also, why are you two here? You shouldn't be here unless summoned." Tenkou rolled her eyes.

"Your still as pushy as ever, aren't you, 'Sumi-chan. We were summoned. Kijin is the only one who can pull Duo back into himself once he touches someone." Tatsumi flinched at the nickname the girl gave him. Sometimes, it was very hard to remember they were SohRyu's children. Kijin was too serious while Tenkou seemed to enjoy the role of childish innocence she'd adopted. He then decided to look to Duo, himself, for the answers.

"Would you care to explain, Duo? It seems none of your reports mentioned anything about you being unable to touch someone." Duo looked toward Watari who nodded his agreement with the silent question in the boys violet eyes. He then turned back to Tatsumi, who seemed off balance with such a look from someone with the same other-worldly colored eyes as Tsuzuki.

"Besides the fact that I can see past any mask, which is why I can tell you are uncomfortable right now, I can also learn everything there is to learn about a person from skin to skin contact. Meaning, when Watari touched my wrist, which wasn't covered by my glove, I got a good taste of his memories. Needless to say, I've come to realize gloves and a fair amount of distance is the best cure all for keeping friends. It was just my mistake that I hadn't realized that I had an exposed area." Tatsumi blinked, surprise coloring his eyes, even as he fought against it.

"You mean you can't touch anyone?" Tatsumi asked, knowing that would be a terrible way for a child to live. Unable to be touched without knowing everything about someone, even if they were someone you loved. It had to of been rough, to say the least.

"No, not normally. Yet I can touch Kijin without trouble. Sometimes I can have Tenkou touch me as well, but there are other times when I find out way too much from her." She smiled softly, sitting back on her knees, her eyes watching Kijin cradle Duo carefully on his lap. While Kijin was normally a very independent and temperate in all matters, he had nearly lost it when he had come to realize Duo had never been held. Due to Duo's unique ability, there was nothing that could be done unless he wanted to find himself lost to someone else's memories. So when Kijin had met the boy, the first thing he had done was hugged him. Duo, at first, had balked at the idea and tried to push the Shikigami away. Yet when nothing gripped him, Duo had allowed himself to enjoy to embrace and hugged the Shikigami in return. That was when Kijin had decided to become his guardian. He had wanted to see blossom without the pain of feeling like a freak no one could touch. Tenkou, moved by her brothers decision, had also agreed, saying they would need a good offense, seeing as Kijin wasn't a very warfare minded Shikigami. Hearing words like that from such a young girl had seemed to only make Duo happier, even if she really wasn't as young as she looked.

"You've always been like this?" Tatsumi asked. Duo nodded.

"Yep, even before I was dead, I suffered from this. Its why I died at such a young age. Someone decided to have a little fun with the pretty boy I was and during a rather brutal rape, I was assaulted mentally by his thoughts, memories, and feelings, which in turn, killed me. I couldn't handle such dark thoughts and thus my whole body shut down. By the time I realized I was dead, I just kind of shrugged it off. While I had loved life and what I had made with it, I knew there wasn't much I could do to change my situation. Low and behold, that's when Watari showed up and told me there was more to life than just living and dying. That's when I was taken to GenSouKai for training. There, I gained Kijin and Tenkou. The rest is in my file." Tatsumi nodded. He did indeed know the rest of this tale.

Duo had become rather skilled at ofuda magic, just as Tsuzuki could command. Yet his strong suit seemed to be in calling his Shikigami. Kijin was a master defensive Shikigami while Tenkou was a regular little harridan when it came to warfare. She took after her father in that respect. In Tatsumi's opinion, he could be a very good match for Tsuzuki, if it wasn't for the fact that Hisoka had already been the perfect one for him. Yet there was nothing that could be done, at least not at the moment. At least if Tsuzuki was meant to have a new partner, he had one that would be able to protect him from himself, as well as others. The demons of hell, especially since they were always after Tsuzuki, seeing as Tsuzuki had taken out a prince of hell, Saagatanasu, and was now currently the one others who aspired the position he had acquired from the beaten demon had to kill, would mean Tsuzuki would need a skilled partner who could protect him from them as well.

"In your file, it never said who killed you? Is it because you didn't know who it was?" Watari asked, knowing he was prying, but also just as certain of the fact that he never seemed to have any trouble dealing with such questions.

"Oh, I know him. I remember everything about him. He's a real twisted guy, and from everything I've heard while in GenSouKai, he's still just as twisted as ever." Watari and Tatsumi's eyes grew wide. There was only one person GenSouKai ever discussed, and that was because the man was a constant thorn in Tsuzuki and Hisoka's side.

"You can't be serious! Muraki killed you too?" Watari exclaimed, losing all hope of self control. What he did to Hisoka had been one thing, but doing it to another boy was just twisted, especially since it hadn't been too long ago when it had happened.

"Muraki Kazutaka, by name. He was the reason I was in Japan in the first place. I was a private detective by profession, as well as a student of all subjects. So I had been hired to find the man who had killed a young man of considerable wealth by the boys parents. My skills are really sought after, so I knew there was no other choice but to take the case and see if I couldn't find anything out with my unique talents." Tatsumi and Watari shared a look.

"Do you remember the name of the family who hired you?" Tatsumi asked. Duo raised an eyebrow and with Kijin's help, stood up.

"Of course. Kurosaki was the family name. Seems their son, Hisoka was killed by Muraki, although they hadn't found this out until I did some digging. At first they thought he had died of an illness, but later they found out it was something much more than that. It was murder. By the time I had come to realize who had done it, I found myself as the next victim. He really loved the torture too. . .he's done it often enough." Watari looked like he was about to be sick while Tatsumi simply stared.

"You've been inside that sick bastards head?" Tatsumi asked, his voice not as cold as he would have liked it.

"Oh yeah, and he's about as sick as they come, Tatsumi-san." Watari seemed to get his composure back as he decided to jump into this talk.

"Yet you don't seem to bear any anger or animosity toward him, how come?" Watari asked.

"I also do no fear the man either. As I had said, I looked it as if that was how I was meant to die. It was painful, certainly, and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy, but what was done is done. I'm certain Kijin and Tenkou would love to get a hold of him, but I'm not so fragile as all that. I won't break if I speak of it."

"But you were violated!" Watari cried out, causing 003 to cry out in alarm at her masters distress.

"True, I was. Yet to me, he only had my body. It was me he wanted to kill. Yet my eyes reminded him of someone who was constantly slipping from his grasp and in turn, those eyes made him think of the 'doll' he had lost. He was simply too twisted to think any other way. I was a bad reminder for him. That's what my life had become reduced to. That's fine, seeing as I was never really seen while I was alive anyway. While I might have been a bright student and an even brighter detective, there was no one there who mourned my passing. After all, I had never let anyone into my life enough to have them care about me." Watari wanted to say more, but Tatsumi shook his head. If that was his way of thinking, it wouldn't do to try to change it. For the moment, this is how things would have to be.

"Come along, Duo, we've left your partner waiting for far too long as is. Let's go meet him." Duo nodded and Kijin and Tenkou once again vanished from view. Duo then followed Tatsumi out of the lab, leaving Watari to his inventions once more. Yet the blond scientist wasn't eager to get back to his work. He was still too stunned to find someone who was so willing to forgive such a twisted man. It was scary how much he wanted shake Duo and make him realize that he had a life. One that was wrongly taken from him. One thing was for certain, when Muraki realized another of his victims had become a Shinigami and wouldn't be easily manipulated by fear of what he'd done, he'd realize he's possibly picked the wrong boy to take out his aggressions on.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Did you have to kill the boy?" Mibu Oriya asked of his friend. Muraki Kazutaka looked up from the tea he was sharing with his long haired friend and frowned.

"I didn't kill him. I never touched him in a way to kill. He was a desire that I wanted and I took it, but I never killed him. Something happened and it was like he over-loaded. He died before I even finished as well. So you can't blame this one on me, Oriya. Not this time." Oriya sighed, brushing some of his long dark brown hair from his face. It was difficult to run a brothel and keep an eye on his friend at the same time. When his lab had burned down so many months ago, he had found him near death. Yet he had managed to survive and live on to kill and brutalize again. His last kill had been a boy that Oriya, himself, had employed. He should have known better than to do it when he had seen the boys violet eyes. So different and yet so similar to ones he had seen before.

"It was still your fault. He was under my employ and care. I had planned to raise him to take my place someday. He was such a caring young man. He shouldn't have died when his whole life had been so hard to him already." Muraki frowned, sipping his tea.

"Oh, come now, Oriya, you aren't actually upset over this one, are you?" Oriya looked away, refusing to meet Muraki's maniacal gaze. With a soft sigh falling from pursed lips, he grumbled, "Oh dear, you are. I'm sorry I took your toy from you. I'll get you a new one." Oriya stared at Muraki for a long time.

"I don't want a new one, Kazutaka. He was just like me. He made the most of a life that was so utterly hopeless. You took the only thing he could call his own and put it out like you would a candle, without a second thought," the swordsman argued. Muraki placed one hand on his friends shoulder.

"If it will make you feel better, anyone else you wish for me not to touch, I won't. Or rather, the next person you tell me not to touch, I won't. Will this make you feel better?" Oriya stared at his friend. He had cared for him for a long time, yet there was no way Muraki could return those feelings. Muraki had told Oriya that he was far too gone to be someone to care for, yet Oriya did, even if he didn't want to some times.

"You better," Oriya mumbled. Muraki smiled then, going back to his tea.

"I will. Is there someone you want me to leave alone?" Oriya thought about it for a moment before shaking his head.

"Not at the moment. I'll let you know when I figure out someone." Muraki grinned darkly and nodded.

"Of course, my friend. Take all the time you want." Oriya stared at him, knowing exactly why he wanted him to take so long. After all, if he took a long time in choosing who he wanted to protect, that left Muraki with a lot more people to chose from. All in all, it made Oriya just a little sick.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A young man made his way through the streets of Kyoto, seemingly a little lost as his Prussian blue eyes gazed around the fairly high rent district of the area. He had never really been to this part of town, yet when his only friend had moved here, he had sworn to come see him. Knocking on the door of a rather well to do establishment, he was greeted by a rather well endowed woman with an almost non-existent kimono on her body and he felt himself involuntarily swallow.

"Yes, young man, what can I do for you?" she asked in a low, husky tone. The boy steeled his backbone and moved ahead with his mission.

"My friend is here. I was told he was working for Mibu-san now." The woman smiled softly.

"I'm certain Mibu-san will be able to help you better. Please come inside." The boy nodded and headed inside. He was shown to a place where there were at least several other women, all various beauties, and all dressed as the one who had answered the door. Two of the women detached themselves from the group and sashayed over to the boy.

"Would you like some company, young one?" the blond girl asked. The black haired one slide up beside him and lightly caressed his cheek.

"I always enjoy helping first-timers," she said lightly, flirting. The first woman had disappeared as soon as he had been left to the room, leaving him to face the women all on his own. He swiftly shook his head.

"I'm not here for that," he said softly. Another woman detached herself from the crowd, and as she came near, the boy realized she was a he. He knelt beside the boy, a seductive smile on his lips.

"Perhaps you would prefer my company better," the young man said. While the boy did admit that he was rather handsome, he wasn't someone he wanted. Once again, he shook his head.

"No, thank you," the boy whispered. The sound of hands clapping had the three moving away from the boy. He glanced up to see a man with long dark brown hair pulled back into a pony-tail. The man radiated power and the boy seemed to look at him in awe.

"All of you, return to your post. This boy is not here for you," he said, his voice deep. He then motioned for the young boy to follow him. The boy was swift to stand and follow Oriya from the room. Once they had reached the garden at the back of the place, Oriya gave the boy a soft smile. "Now, what is your name and why did you come here?" he asked. The boy stood tall and proud before bowing to the man.

"My name is Heero Yuy. I came here seeking my friend, Duo Maxwell. He had told me he was working here and that he would send for me once he had managed to collect enough money for me to join him. He had sent me a letter saying that he had managed to make enough for me to be able to live in a nearby hotel until he could get a place of his own." Oriya's eyes turned sad and he suddenly realized that there had been so much more to Duo he had never known.

"How old are you?" he asked softly of boy. Looking at him, he seemed malnourished and rather thin. His chocolate brown hair seemed to still manage to shine while his Prussian blue eyes were alight with worry now that he had seen Oriya's expression.

"Eighteen, same as Duo." Heero paused for a moment before speaking once more. "Where is my friend? May I see him?" he asked, a note of fear in his voice. Oriya bowed his head, already hating his friend for the result he had left at his door.

"I'm. . .afraid he isn't here," Oriya said softly. Heero glared at the man.

"What do you mean?! The letter I received wasn't that long ago!" Heero cried out, already fearing what he was about to hear and yet wanting to hear it at the same time.

"He died, about two weeks ago. It was so sudden. No one expected it." Oriya looked away from the boy. "There is nothing I can do to make this up to you. I'm certain you were the last thing in his thoughts. Why don't you work here, in his place. I'm certain he wanted you off the streets and I felt close enough to him that I couldn't allow his friend to remain on the streets if he didn't want you to be on them." Heero's eyes filled with tears, yet he nodded his head.

"I'll accept, but only until I have enough to live on my own, as Duo wanted." Oriya smiled softly, nodding.

"Understood. The pay isn't great, but its better than anything you'll find anywhere else. Also, he wasn't one of those people you saw in that room. He merely kept the place clean, sometimes he'd keep me company. Occasionally, he'd be my sparing partner. He said he learned his sword skills from a really dear friend. You wouldn't happen to have any skills in that area?" Heero, despite his tears, nodded.

"Fair enough skills," he said softly. Oriya nodded.

"Then its settled. You shall join our team." Heero looked toward the rose bush that Duo had constantly enjoyed looking at. It made Oriya feel a little nostalgia. Oriya then motioned for the first woman who had opened the door to come here. She did as ordered and bowed to him. "See to it this boy is settled into Duo's old room and get him something to eat and drink, what ever he wishes. He'll be taking over Duo's job starting tomorrow. Is this understood Rumika?" The woman named Rumika nodded.

"Of course, Oriya-san. This way, young man." Heero bowed to Oriya in thanks before following Rumika into the establishment once more. Oriya let his gaze follow after him, his eyes serious.

"He is the one you shall never touch, Kazutaka. This is the only way I know of to atone for not saving Duo from you." He closed his eyes and turned back to look at the rose bush, which was blooming despite the fact it was too early for it to. "This I promise to you Duo. I shall take care of him as I would have wished I could have done you. I hope wherever you are, you know I shall not fail you in this."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Duo found himself sneezing outside the door to the office of his soon-to-be partner. Tatsumi blinked and looked at the young man. "Is everything all right?" Tatsumi asked. Shinigami may be dead already, but they could still suffer from hangovers, colds, and other such normal maladies. Although they couldn't die again from them, the darn things could still be trouble.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm cool. Even all recovered from the incident in the lab. So lets have me meet my new partner." Tatsumi pushed his glasses up, a habit of his when he was uncomfortable and turned back to the door.

"As you say," he murmured before pushing open the door and beholding a sight he had never seen before. Sitting at his desk, flying through the paperwork as fast as he could while still being correct and through with it, was Tsuzuki. His dark black hair fell boyishly into his face while his violet eyes were hidden from view. Tatsumi cleared his throat. "I think we need to get you another partner more often if this is how you're going to act," Tatsumi said to him. Tsuzuki looked up and blinked wide eyes at Tatsumi, unable to see Duo, who was behind the taller man.

"Tatsumi, what brings you here? You aren't upset over my decision, are you?" Tsuzuki asked, his voice child-like, almost as if he was expecting to see himself get scolded. Tatsumi simply sighed.

"Don't worry Tsuzuki. I have already had a rant over the situation and spoken with Hisoka's replacement. Apparently, you should be all right. He's a rather impressive young man." Duo flushed behind Tatsumi at his words and slowly peeked his head out from behind Tatsumi.

"Hajimemashite," Duo said as he let his head peek around Tatsumi. "Boku wa Duo Maxwell. Dozo yoroshiku."

"Dozo yoroshiku," Tsuzuki said in return. Duo smirked before stepping out from behind Tatsumi. It was then that Tsuzuki realized the color of the boys eyes was the same as his own.

"You may call me Duo, Tsuzuki-san." Tsuzuki smiled softly, before standing and taking the offered gloved hand.

"And you may call me Tsuzuki. I hope we can become good friends and partners," the dark haired young man said. Duo's eyes twinkled with merriment.

"I hope so as well." Duo then glanced over his shoulder at Tatsumi. "So, what's our first case. Of which I'm certain we have one, seeing that we were brought together sooner than normal." Tatsumi seemed to mentally stumble back. Yet he quickly regained his composure and smiled softly.

"And right you are, Duo. There has been a rash of unanswerable deaths in Kyoto. I want Tsuzuki and you to check it out." Duo's eyes seemed to brighten.

"Kyoto? Would I be allowed to check on something while there. I promise not to interact with mortals, seeing as I had been living there, but I would like to make certain someone close to me is alright." Tatsumi had it on the tip of his tongue to deny the boy his request, yet when Tsuzuki gave him the puppy dog eyes in order to help plead Duo's case, he caved in.

"I suppose as long as you don't mix with the mortals who knew you before you died, you can. Yet I want you all to stay within the budget. Understood?" Tsuzuki frowned while Duo nodded.

"Understood," they both answered at the same time. They shared a look before similar smiles crossed their lips. Tatsumi rolled his eyes slightly. This wasn't looking like a good idea after all.

"If you understand then get to work," he ordered. The two Shinigami laughed and faded from view, leaving the realm of Meifu and heading to the realm of mortals. Tatsumi sighed. Why was it the violet-eyed ones seemed to be a little unbalanced? Shrugging, seeing as he didn't have the answer, he left to go get to work himself.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Arriving in Kyoto at a rather early time, Duo moved toward a street vendor and grabbed up two sweet rolls that seemed to be the size of a small child's head. The owner smiled at Duo and nodded before turning to other customers. Tsuzuki blinked in surprise at his new partner and then happily took the roll and began to munch on it. Once they had both polished off the sweet, Tsuzuki's expression one that seemed to scream contentment, Duo lead the way to the area he had wanted to check on.

"How did you manage that without having to pay?" Tsuzuki asked, curious.

"The vendor and I go way back. I showed him how to keep people from stealing from his cart and he, in return, offered me free rolls whenever I wanted one." Tsuzuki blinked in surprise and glanced back the way they had come.

"Didn't he know you had died?" Tsuzuki asked.

"Nope. No one save the one who killed me and the man I worked for knew I had died." Duo then frowned softly. "Perhaps one other person, if he made it here. Other than that, everyone down in the lower streets of Kyoto wouldn't realize I've left the mortal realm for greener pastures." Tsuzuki frowned this time as they reached a building that Watari and Tatsumi had told him about. It was where Hisoka and them had come to in order to find out where Tsuzuki was being held at. He turned his eyes on Duo and stared at the younger man.

"So why are we here?" he asked. Duo smiled and continued unnoticed by the people on the street to the secret brothel.

"To see my old boss and make certain he's taking care of my dearest friend, as I'm certain he would have decided to do when he failed to save me." Tsuzuki looked over at Duo, his eyes serious.

"He knew who killed you?" Duo nodded.

"Yeah. He's been friends with him for a very long time. Perhaps even longer than he ever thought possible." Duo then glanced over at Tsuzuki and shrugged. "So, who are we here to check on besides the unusual murders. Of which I'm fairly certain are caused by one man in particular." Tsuzuki thought back to the briefing he had received before meeting his new partner and recalled the rest of it.

"We are to collect one Heero Yuy, who should have died two days ago from malnutrition and dehydration." Duo blinked in surprise at the mention of the name. He then looked over his shoulder at Tsuzuki.

"Now that's interesting," he muttered, looking back toward the building. "I think we can kill both parts of this case with one stone." Tsuzuki followed him slowly, not liking where this case was beginning to turn.

"You've figured out who's been doing the killing, haven't you," Tsuzuki stated.

"Of course. It was obvious who did it before we even got here. There isn't really a pattern to the deaths, except that they are being done to lure someone here. That someone is you, obviously. Therefore, there is only one person who happens to be obsessed with you."

"Muraki," Tsuzuki whispered, shuddering. He then tugged on Duo's arm, stopping him. "You're going back to Meifu. This case has just become too dangerous. I can't allow you to remain here. You'll wind up in danger." Duo raised one chestnut eyebrow at that and stared at his partner.

"I'm no longer in any danger from Muraki, Tsuzuki. There isn't anything he can do to me that he hasn't already done," Duo remarked, placing a hand on his partners shoulder.

"He was the one who killed you," Tsuzuki whispered. Duo nodded, a soft smile on his lips.

"It wasn't intentional. He didn't kill me as he did all the others. He hadn't even realized what he was doing would hurt me. He was taking his frustrations over losing Kurosaki-san, his brother, and yourself out on me. Seems our similar eye color was a sore spot with him. Oriya-san tried to keep me from him, but all it took was one night to change everything. I don't blame anyone for what happened except the one who did it. Even then, I'm not upset with him. So don't feel guilty, Tsuzuki." Tsuzuki looked at his partner, his eyes wide, yet he couldn't seem to shake the guilt that was washing over him. Duo sighed and internally knew there was only one person who could make him listen. "Sharper than the blade of a sword, I summon thee who protects me. Come forth, Kijin." Kijin arrived without ceremony, standing beside Duo with a concerned look. Duo motioned to Tsuzuki and then Kijin understood what his master wanted of him.

"It is not because of you, Tsuzuki. He would have lived, had he not been cursed to be unable to handle human contact." Tsuzuki blinked at Kijin's words and then looked up at Duo.

"Is that true?" Duo nodded.

"I can't touch someone without being drawn into their mind and seeing, feeling, and hearing everything they know. It was great when it came to school, but it was down-right deadly when that mad man placed his bare skin against my own. I was subjected to the most twisted mind imaginable. Once I realized that he wasn't all there mentally, and that he got pleasure from making others crack, I simply let him do what he wanted without responding. That's what'll stop him in the end."

"Muraki wants nothing more than to feel other peoples pain in the place of the pain he constantly feels. This way, he knows he has power over them. Hisoka and yourself allow him that power over you. Once you realize his actions are his own, then he will lose his hold over the both of you," Kijin finished for his master. He then glanced at Duo. "I believe that was what you wanted to say." Duo nodded.

"I did at that, Ki-san. Arigato." Kijin nodded and left before Tsuzuki could allow SohRyu to come out and grill his son as to why he had chosen Duo for his master. Duo then turned to the place they had been heading for. "Now, lets get this done before Muraki comes back. I want our charge well out of the way before he returns." Tsuzuki nodded, his mind muddled. He hadn't expected to hear words like that from an eighteen year old boy, let alone SohRyu's son. He then smiled and followed Duo into the place, realizing the boy was going to be interesting to work with after all.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Heero laid in his bed, coughs racking his frail body, yet he refused to give in. He had promised Duo he would survive and by damn if he wasn't going to do it. Drawing a deep breath, he continued to simply lay there, closing his eyes for a brief while. Eventually he felt a soft touch against his forehead, the soft cloth covered fingers had been ones he remembered very well. He missed being near Duo. He missed the feeling of his silk covered fingers brushing through his hair as it was now and the sound of his breathing as he looked after him. Heero realized he had to be even more sick than usual, seeing as he was able to imagine it all again.

"Hee-chan, you haven't been taking care of yourself, have you," the soft baritone said. Heero shifted closer to the touch in his sleep fogged mind, until he realized Duo had never said anything like that to him. Opening his eyes, he found himself staring directly at Duo, who was wearing a soft, yet concerned smile on his lips.

"Duo! I thought you were. . ." he trailed off, unable to finish that sentence. Duo laughed softly, concern still in his violet eyes, which seemed to glow in the dusk just before dawn.

"Dead. . .yeah, I am, Hee-chan. Yet I've been given a chance to be more than a memory. I'm a Shinigami now, Hee-chan. A real one. Only it means Guardian of Death, not God of Death, as we had believed. Seems you've been really bad about your health Hee-chan. They want to take you to the other world. Yet you won't allow yourself to die. Why not?" Duo's fingers continued to caress Heero's face for a moment before Heero sat up and swiftly launched himself into Duo's arms. His tears fell silently as he snuggled into his friend; his only friend.

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, Duo. I'm so sorry," Heero whispered. Duo brushed back his hair and slowly, almost feather lightly, pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"I'm better off as is now, Hee-chan. Don't worry about me. Yet you need to let go. You can't hang on in this condition. Either you eat, drink, and get better, or I've got to lead you to the next plane of existence for you. You can't remain in both." Heero blinked and stared at Duo. It had been the second time only of their relationship that Duo had ever touched him without the confines of something covering them. Yet, Heero actually valued that touch. He valued every close moment he could get with his friend.

"I. . .I want to live, Duo. But I don't want to live without you. Please, tell me what I should do." Duo glanced into the shadows and then back at Heero. Heero looked where he had but could see nothing.

"I don't know what I can tell you. Just know that if you keep living, I'll be alive inside of you. Inside your memories. If you let yourself live, you keep me alive as well." Heero damned everything he had learned, everything he knew he wasn't supposed to do and threw himself into Duo's arms once more. Duo held him close, a soft smile on his lips. "Tell ya what, I'll even look out for ya. I'll make certain nothing happens to you. Just stay close to Oriya and protect yourself. Don't be alone with Muraki and don't make yourself stand out too badly." Heero sighed and nodded against Duo's chest.

"I'll live, Duo. I'll live for you. But you keep your promise. Watch over me, and please keep me in line. Also, visit from time to time. I don't want to forget you." Duo smiled and lightly tipped up Heero's face with his hand.

"I won't let you forget, Hee-chan. You're my dearest friend. Besides, I'm in Kyoto for a while at the moment. I'll visit when I'm not on the clock. Expect me about nine tomorrow morning, right before you have to work, all right?" Heero smiled sadly and nodded.

"All right. You better be there." Duo laughed, standing up and moving away from Heero.

"Hey, I don't lie, Heero. I'll be there no matter what. Promise. I'll see you then." Duo then faded from human sight. He looked over at Tsuzuki, who had been standing in the shadows the whole time. Tsuzuki gaze him a goofy little smile.

"I take it you care a lot for that young man. I hope he's worth what I just had to agree to in order to have the Count leave his candle alone," Tsuzuki said to him. Duo gave him a sheepish grin.

"I'll make it up to you Tsuzuki, I promise. Yet we can't worry about him right now. Muraki is the more important one for us to focus on. So we will deal with him for the moment and whatever comes next, will come when it has to." Tsuzuki nodded and with one last look toward Heero, Duo and Tsuzuki left.


End file.
